Of those participating in the Nature Debates, only one person said he thought it was possible to predict earthquakes, but thought funding was a problem. I gave him the funding solution. That person now retired and heading up WAPMERR is Dr. Max Wyss. My suggestion was to form a non-profit organization and WAPMERR is exactly that. However, it is different than what I had envisioned, but to each his/her own. None-the-less, it does exist.

Meanwhile further progress is underway with Dr. Rolff Steffanson and his multi-year fully funded earthquake prediction project in Iceland. So far a tremendous success.

GeoForecasters, the first American public earthquake prediciton vehicle is in its infancy and working on their prediction program.

VAN is still in operation in Greece despite earlier claims of one of the members on his death bed and an investigation over funding matters.

Parkfield is still an on-going project, still fully funded and in the wings of expansion.

However, the greatest change I have witnessed in the last two years is that earthquake prediction is no longer a subject for backroom discussions. For reasons unknown it can now be openly discussed without ramifications of a scientists career being placed in danger for the sake of discussion.

Globally, however, things are not necessarily good. Both China and Greece have clamped down hard on public prediction with imposed jail sentences.

In four short years the face of earthquake prediction on the Earth has changed dramatically and most certainly in a positive direction.

Looking toward the future, I do not expect any of the prediction facilities to ever issue a warning which would signal an evacuation of a major city. For all of the correct reasons, this choice should never be made because the logistics of doing so are impossible to predict.

All in all, not so bad.....Petra